PELLA, Iowa - The University of Dubuque held a late fourth quarter lead in Tuesday night's American Rivers Conference Quarterfinal match-up at Central. However, the UD offense went cold down the stretch and the Dutch were able to rally and upend the Spartans, 57-48, ending UD's season.

Miah Smith's double-double would not be enough for the Spartans on Tuesday night, as Smith would lead the Spartans in both points and rebounds with 10 and 12, respectively. Tabria Thomas nearly missed out on a double-double of her own with eight points and 10 rebounds. UD would actually outshoot Central in the quarterfinal match-up at 25.0% to 21.6%, but the Dutch would make four more three-pointers and five more free-throws, which would prove to be the difference.

Both teams had trouble finding a rhythm early in the game, scoring a combined five points in the game's opening seven minutes and 20 in the entire first quarter. The Spartans got rolling in the second quarter and made their big push, taking a three point deficit at the 9:12 mark of the second quarter and turning that into an eight point lead with 2:33 left in the quarter. A Central three quarter right before the second quarter buzzer gave the Spartans a 27-22 lead at the halfway point.

UD would be in the lead or tied for all but 11 seconds of the third quarter, hanging to a 40-35 lead after three quarters. That UD lead would hold steady around five points after a Miah Smith jumper made it 44-39 with 4:59 remaining.

That lead would quickly evaporate as the Dutch would rattle off the next 10 points over a 2:06 span to put UD in a five point hole with 1:37 remaining. UD was able to pull within three points two possessions later, however could not pull any closer as the Dutch were nearly perfect at the free throw line down the stretch to stun the Spartans and ending their season with a 57-48 loss. The Spartans would shoot just 3-16 (18.75%) from the field in the fourth quarter. 

The Spartans close Justin Smith's first season as UD's head coach with a 6-7 record.